“The first thing they do is they open the box and take a photograph of the entire box so they know what’s in there,” Hawaii Boot Removal owner Sean Starn said.

This is a time-stamped photograph provided by the company.

“In that particular case, there’s no money in stall 150 that Mr. Lee says he parked in and there’s no money in stalls around 150,” Starn said. “The photo doesn’t lie. There was no money in the box there was no money in the surrounding boxes around it that’s why I stand firm on this.”

“I’m not going to even try to guess what happened to the three one-dollar bills and four quarters,” Lee said. “You don’t have any recourse, you don’t have a receipt, so there’s nothing you can do except give them the $160.”

Starn says while wheel boots are relatively new to Hawaii more companies and landowners are turning to him for help.

“We’re here to protect the rights of property owners and make sure that people on their properties are going to the businesses that they’re supposed and pay for their parking,” Starn said. “If you’ve been caught you need to pay your boot removal.”

“My take away, Ron, is that don’t park anywhere that you don’t get a receipt because it’s just your word against theirs,” Lee said.

Lee says the company who contracts Hawaii Boot Removal to monitor the lot offered to reimburse his $160 boot removal fee.